Stabilization of cellulosic fabrics



i atenied Dec. 7, 1943 STABILIZATION OF CELLULOSIC FABRICS Louis B. Bock, Hiintin'gdon Valley, and Alva 1.. Honk, Philadelphia, Pa., assignors to Biihm & Haas Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing.

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a method for stabiliz-' ing cellulosic fabrics against changes in dimensions by a reaction between the fabric and a compound of the formula wherein R is an aliphatic group containing two to ten carbon atoms, R1 is a group containing less than 12 carbon atoms selected from the class consisting of aliphatic, alicyclic hydrocarbon and aralkyl groups, R2 and Rs when taken individually are members of the'class consisting of aliphatic hydrocarbon groups of one to four carbon atoms and when taken together are saturated divalent groups which Jointly with the nitrogen form a heterocycle, and X is a salt-forming anion.

Shrinkage control has heretofore been attained by mechanical treatment of cotton cloth or by the use of resins. Mechanical treatment does not, however, protect against stretching in a subsequent operation, while the resins which have been found effective impart to the cloth properties which are often undesirable.

It is an object of this invention to render fabrics composed of cotton, linen, rayon, or other cellulosic fibers resistant to shrinking or stretching. It is also an object to thus stabilize fabrics while preserving appearance and handle of the original fabric. It is a further object to stabilize cellulosic fabrics without having to incorporate therein resins or deposits of nitrogenous materials.

Theseobjects are accomplished by impregnating cellulosic fabrics with a-solution containing at least about 5% of a quaternary ammonium salt of the above general formula and preferably not more than of said salt and heating the impregnated fabric while holding it at desired dimensions until reaction between fabric and compound takes place. In the reaction a methyl ether group from the compound combines with cellulose to form a new compound and the amine portion of the quaternary compound is split out and eliminated from the fabric by volatilization, by washing, or by other suitable procedure. The process is performed with optimum stabilization and yield of fabric when the impregnated fabric is at the desired finished dimensions during the reaction. These dimensions may preferably'be attained during the stage when drying takes place. Drying may be performed at low or high temperature, elth. as a separate step or incidental tov the heating of the impregnated fabric.

Typical of the quaternary ammonium salts which are useful in this invention are the following: di-ethyloxymethyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, butoxyrnethyl methoxymethyl dimethyl ammonium bromide, hexyloxymethyl propyloxymethyl diethyl ammonium chloride, octyloxy- Application December 28, 1940, Serial No. 372.166

methyl butoxymethyl methyl butyl ammonium bromide, amyloxymethyl undecenyloxymethyl dimethyLammonium chloride, butoxymethyl cyclohexyloxymethyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, butoxymethyl allyloxymethyi dimethyl ammonium chloride, butoxymethyl benzyloxymethyl diethyl ammonium chloride, capryloxymethyl isopropoxymethyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, di-butoxymethyl morpholinium chloride, butoxymethyl ethoxymethyl pyrrolidinium bromide, butoxymethyl ethoxymethyl piperidinium bromide, phenoxyethoxyme'thyl ethoxymethyl dimethyl ammonium bromide, or the like. The halogens in the above compounds may be replaced with other anions, such as acetate, formate, sulfate, etc. The compounds having RO-CH2 groups containing four carbon atoms in the group designated by R or R1 have been found to give the optimum degree of stabilization. The effect clearly persists, however, up to a chain of 12 carbon atoms. Very long groups may have an opposite effect, probably because of their lubricating action. The presence of two methyl other groups, in the quaternary ammonium salt renders these compounds peculiarly effective in stabilizing cellulose fabrics. They react under conditions which give the desired effects without causing undue tendering of thefabric or change in its original appearance and handle.

The fabrics which have been improved in stability as to dimensions include those woven from cotton, linen, regenerated cellulose of the several types, etc., and those prepared from mixtures of these cellulosic materials.

The stabilization of fabrics is illustrated following examples:

Erample 1 in the mined and the shrinkage found to be 2.6% in the warp.

A piece of the original cloth not treated'with' Example 2 A piece of x 80, 4 yd. 36 in. cotton sheeting was held within desired dimensions by clamping in a frame and while so held it was impregnated with a 10% aqueous solution of isoamyloxymethyl isopropyloxymethyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, and thereafter freed of excess solution, dried at 30 C., heated in an oven at 130 C. for one-half hour, and removed from the frame. Pieces of cloth were marked, carefully measured, washed in a hot solution of soap and soda ash, rinsed, dried, and ironed. Shrinkage along the warp was only 1.9%.

Example 3 Other pieces of the same cotton sheeting as used in the foregoing examples were impregnated in a 5% aqueous solution of di-butoxymethyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, placed on a frame, dried under tension for five minutes in an oven at 130 C., and heated for ten minutes in an oven at 150 C. The pieces were removed from the frame, measured,- and laundered as above. Shrinkage along the warp was 1.8%.

Other pieces of the sheeting were treated by the same procedure with substitution of a aqueous solution for the 5% solution of the same compound. Shrinkage was 0.9%.

Still other pieces were impregnated with dibutoxymethyl dimethyl ammonium chloride. stretched in a frame, and placed in an oven at 150 C. for five minutes. being laundered, shrank 1.9% along the warp.

Example 4 A piece of dyed 39 inch, 58 x 68, 3.4 yds. per 1b., spun rayon slub was clamped in a rigid frame and impregnated with a 10% aqueous solution of dibutoxymethyl dimethyl ammonium chloride. It was dried at room temperature and then placed in an oven at 130 C. for 30 minutes. The cloth was then removed from the frame and carefully measured. It was then laundered and treated as in Example No. l. The shrinkage was 0.6% in the direction of the warp; the shrinkage of the original sheet under the same treatment was 1.5%.

Example 5 A-piece of inch, 68 x 62, 3.5 yards per 1b., all-spun bright viscose rayon challis, 1.5 denier, i inch staple was clamped in a frame impregnated with an aqueous solution containing 12% of dibutoxymetnyl dimethyl ammonium chloride and 2% ammonium chloride. The impregnated fabric air-dried, and placed in an oven at 130 C. for 30 minutes. The cloth was removed from the 1" e and carefully measured. It was then launr red in a hot solution of soap and soda ash age was :iund to be 3.1% in the warp whereas the inai fabric shrank 7.5%. In this case shrinkage in the filling was also determined as 0.6% in the treated piece and 3.9% in the original fabric.

We claim:

1. A process for stabilizing cellulosic fabrics against changes in dimensions, which comprises impregnating said fabrics with a solution con tainin between about 5% and about 15% of a quaternary compound of the formula wherein R. is an aliphatic group containing two dried and ironed The shrink- These pieces, after to ten carbon atoms, R1 is a group containing less than twelve carbon atoms selected from the class consisting of aliphatic, alicyclic hydrocarbon and aralkyl groups, R: and R3 when taken individually are members of the class consisting of aliphatic hydrocarbon groups of one to four carbon atoms and when taken together are saturated divalent groups which jointly with the nitrogen form a heterocycle, and X is a saltforming anion, drying the impregnated fabric under conditions imparting the desired dimensions, heating to cause reaction between fabric and compound, and eliminating nitrogenous compounds.

2. A process for stabilizing cellulosic fabrics against changes in dimensions, which comprises impregnating said fabrics with a solution containing between about 5% and about 15% of a quaternary ammonium salt of the formula ROCH1 a,

RiO'CHQ RCI wherein R is an aliphatic group containing two to ten carbon atoms. R1 is a group containing less than twelve carbon atoms selected from the class consisting of aliphatic, alicyclic' hydrocarbon,

and aralkyl groups, R: and R3 when taken individually are members of the class consisting of aliphatic hydrocarbon groups of one to four carbon atoms and when taken together are saturated divalent groups which jointly with the nitrogen form a heterocycle, and X is a saltforming anion, heating the impregnated fabric to a temperature between about C. and C. while maintaining the fabric at desired finished dimensions, and washing the treated fabric.

3. A process for stabilizing cellulosic fabrics against changes in dimensions, which comprises impregnating said fabrics with a solution containing between about 5% and about 15% of a quaternary ammonium salt of the formula a-o-crn R:

, -Ri-OCH2 R3 wherein R is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having four carbon atoms, R1, R2, and R3 are aliphatic hydrocarbon groups of less than live carbon atoms, and X is a halogen, drying the impregnated fabric while maintaining the fabric at desired finished dimensions, and heating the fabric to cause reaction between fabric and quaternary salt.

4. A process for stabilizing cellulosic fabrics against changes in dimensions, which comprises impregnating said fabrics with a solution containing between about 5% and about 15% of a quaternary ammonium salt of the formula CiHo-O c C H1 LOUIS H. BOCK. ALVA L. HOUK. 

